Politics

Marco Rubio pretends Republicans have principles about the Supreme Court

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Sen. Marco Rubio, the off-again-on-again Republican from Florida who will always be angling for the White House, has a deep thought about «protecting» the sanctity of the Supreme Court. It basically comes down to letting in all the Republican jud

Sen. Marco Rubio, the off-again-on-again Republican from Florida who will always be angling for the White House, has a deep thought about «protecting» the sanctity of the Supreme Court. It basically comes down to letting in all the Republican judges, then pulling the ladder away.
In a Fox News op-ed, Rubio announces «I am proposing a constitutional amendment to prevent the next political and cultural flashpoint: the packing of the Supreme Court for partisan gains.» That's to help overcome «corrosive tribalism» until we can achieve «a restoration of family and community.» Whatever that means. It probably has something to do with the Bible verses he tweets all the time. Rubio pontificates that «we are suffering a crisis of confidence and we cannot withstand further erosion of trust in one another and our institutions.» Expanding the court would be that «erosion of trust.»
Let's just review the record. Rubio on Merrick Garland, President Obama's ultimately blockaded nominee to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Antonin Scalia: «I mean, I don't see the point of it. […] I know enough about the position in general to be able to say, number one, I don't think we should be moving on a nominee in the last year of this president's term — I would say that if it was a Republican president — and number two, even if this was the third year of this president's term, this is not someone I'd support.»
So he was fine with making up new rules to keep a Democratic nominee off the court, and pretend that was somehow a principled decision. And says he «knew enough» about Garland to not even want to bother with the Senate's advice and consent duties. As if he didn't care, at all, about the integrity of his own institution. Of course, putting «Rubio» and «integrity» in the same thought is an exercise in absurdity.

Out-of-control ICE has been wrongfully targeting hundreds of U.S. citizens, reports finds

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Reining in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) isn’t just an immigration issue, it’s a civil rights issue that affects all of us. Potentially hundreds of U.S. citizens are being wrongfully targeted by the mass deportation agency every year, the A

Reining in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) isn’t just an immigration issue, it’s a civil rights issue that affects all of us. Potentially hundreds of U.S. citizens are being wrongfully targeted by the mass deportation agency every year, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says in a startling new report, and in a process that several courts have already said is unconstitutional.
In the Miami-Dade County area alone, 420 U.S. citizens were targeted by ICE between February 2017 and February 2019, coinciding with the Trump administration’s unshackling of federal immigration agents. “ICE can issue requests, known as ‘detainers,’ to local jails asking them to hold inmates they suspect of being in the country illegally until the federal agency can assume custody of them,” Huffington Post reports.
But “courts have repeatedly ruled against the Trump Administration’s position on ICE detainers,” immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice said last year. “That’s why police departments and chiefs have repeatedly stood up to the Trump Administration’s demands for police to detain immigrants—not only because it makes communities less safe, but because it would force police to conduct unconstitutional acts and open jurisdictions up for liability.”
ICE ended up dropping over 80 detainers in the Miami-Dade area, “a strong indication that it had wrongly identified dozens of U.S. citizens as being undocumented, the civil liberties group said.” It’s unknown how many of the others were pursued or detained by ICE. The agency has illegally deported U.S. citizens in the past, and Florida could now be pushing itself into more legal trouble by considering a bill “that would force local governments to honor these ICE requests,” Miami New Times reports.
In just one example of this out-of-control agency’s tactics, U.S.-born Peter Sean Brown was wrongly targeted for deportation to Jamaica last December with the help of a Key West, Florida sheriff’s office that already has a history of harassing immigrants. Brown, according to the ACLU, had never even heard of ICE before. He’s now suing the agency, saying “there has to be a stop at some point, before it becomes all of us.”

Trump did NOT say he was going to make the Mueller report public, no matter how it's reported

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On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump seemed to endorse the idea of releasing any final report from special counsel Robert Mueller to the public, saying “Let the people see it” and declaring that he had already told House Republicans, “If you want, let

On Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump seemed to endorse the idea of releasing any final report from special counsel Robert Mueller to the public, saying “Let the people see it” and declaring that he had already told House Republicans, “If you want, let them see it.” But while Trump’s apparent signal to release the report may be in the headlines, those phrases were just part of a statement that was a lot less than it seemed on the surface.
Immediately following the often-headlined “Let the people see it,” Trump said something quite different: “That’s up to the attorney general.” And as the New York Times notes, the law does not require the Justice Department to provide either Congress or the public with a copy of the document provided by the special counsel.
It’s easy for Trump to feel comfortable about throwing decisions on the report over to Attorney General William Barr, because Barr has already made clear his positions. During his confirmation hearings, Barr was definitive in naming any report emerging from the investigation as a “confidential document.” He followed this by stating that he would follow “reporting requirements” under law. Which are few. Barr must notify the chairmen of the appropriate committees in the House and Senate that the investigation is complete. And … that’s it.
Anything else is an option strictly left up to Barr. In the same hearing, Barr stated that he would not release parts of the report that he felt were not in “the public’s interest” or that failed to “comply with applicable legal restrictions.” Finally, Barr made it clear that he was a believer in the Justice Department policy of making no statements in a public document about someone who was not under indictment. Barr was definitive in saying that he would not release information without “protecting the interests of uncharged third parties.” And since the Department of Justice doesn’t believe in indicting a sitting executive, one of those uncharged third parties is certain to be Donald Trump.
Trump didn’t say he would release the report. He said he would leave it up to Barr. Which is the same thing as saying he will not release the report.

Republicans praise 'American hero' McCain, but don't have much to say about the man trashing him

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Senate Republicans showed their courage and loyalty in defense of an old friend under attack by Donald Trump … which is to say, Senate Republicans showed that they don’t have much courage or loyalty in responding to Trump’s attacks on the late Sen. Joh

Senate Republicans showed their courage and loyalty in defense of an old friend under attack by Donald Trump … which is to say, Senate Republicans showed that they don’t have much courage or loyalty in responding to Trump’s attacks on the late Sen. John McCain. Trump has been on a multi-day rant about how he didn’t like McCain and wasn’t properly thanked for allowing McCain’s funeral plans to go forward, prompting McCain’s former colleagues and friends to remind us what a bunch of tepid losers they are.
“I think the president's comments about Sen. McCain hurt him more than they hurt the legacy of Sen. McCain,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had counted McCain as a good friend and close ally. “A lot of people are coming to John's defense now. ... I don't like it when he says things about my friend John McCain.” Oh, boy, you don’t like it when he says things about your friend. There’s a stirring denunciation! And the old “hurts him more than it hurts his target” is a great excuse for giving a bully a pass. Sen. Mitt Romney took a similar approach, saying he “can’t understand why the President would, once again, disparage a man as exemplary as my friend John McCain.” Really, you can’t?
“John McCain is an American hero and I am thankful for his life of service and legacy to our country and Arizona,” tweeted Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, who is occupying McCain’s seat right now. “Everyone should give him and his family the respect, admiration, and peace they deserve.” Everyone should … but she’s sure not mentioning who exactly isn’t doing so. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took the same path, praising McCain without mentioning Trump directly.
May all of these fine exemplars of moral courage get exactly what they deserve: to be disparaged in death by a narcissistic bully and barely defended by their own weak friends. (But may they not get it until they’re also soundly defeated electorally and Trump is shouting and insulting from back at Trump Tower. Or from prison.)

Trump's point person on Moscow real estate deal to get a workout by House Democrats

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House Democrats have lined up three hearings in the coming week with the Russian-born U.S. businessman who served as the point person on the Trump Tower Moscow project.
Felix Sater, who worked directly with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on the real estate de

House Democrats have lined up three hearings in the coming week with the Russian-born U.S. businessman who served as the point person on the Trump Tower Moscow project.
Felix Sater, who worked directly with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on the real estate deal, is due to answer questions behind closed doors from the House Judiciary Committee both Thursday and next week, according to the Washington Post. Sater will also testify publicly next Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee, which has been homing in on Trump's financial entanglements and whether foreign entities have leverage over him.
The House Judiciary panel, on the other hand, is focused on investigating Trump's obstruction, corruption, and abuse of power. The panel has sought all of Sater's correspondence related to financial transactions between the Trump Organization and Russian entities after Jan. 2015. Sater was instrumental in formalizing the letter of intent that Trump signed in October of 2015 regarding the Moscow tower. He's also credited with the idea of gifting a penthouse suite in the tower to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since Cohen admitted to lying about how long negotiations continued on the Moscow deal, Democrats may be interested in asking whether Sater got a similar message from Trump.
Sater also partnered with Trump on several other real estate projects, including Trump SoHo in Manhattan, although Trump claimed in a 2013 deposition that he couldn't identify Sater if they were in the same room together. Sater’s name surfaced regularly during Cohen’s congressional hearing last month, and Cohen testified that Sater actually had an office in Trump Tower on «Mr. Trump's floor.»
Sater has a history of running afoul of the law. In 1991, he was convicted of slashing a man's face with a broken glass in a bar fight. In 1998, he was charged in a $40 million Russian mafia stock fraud scheme, but didn't serve any jail time after pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with investigators.

New Zealand moves to ban military-style rifles 6 days after mass shooting in Christchurch

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Less than a week after a white supremacist opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people and wounding dozens of others, New Zealand has moved to ban all military-style semi-automatic weapons. “Our history has changed forever,” said Prime M

Less than a week after a white supremacist opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people and wounding dozens of others, New Zealand has moved to ban all military-style semi-automatic weapons. “Our history has changed forever,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. “Now our laws will too.”
As reported by BBC News, Ardern announced that the country, which had long debated tightening gun laws but had failed to act, will now ban everything that fits within the categories of military-style semi-automatics or assault rifles. And to make it exceeding clear, they will ban all high-capacity magazines, along with parts and kits used to convert rifles that fall outside these categories into military-style rifles.
Previous laws in New Zealand had placed strict registration requirements on some types of semi-automatic rifles, but left open loopholes that allowed the purchase of those same rifles and the parts needed to transform them into military-style weapons without registration. Multiple attempts had been made to close these loopholes, along with others that allowed owning large numbers of weapons, but those attempts foundered on opposition from gun dealers and supporters. In the wake of the Christchurch shootings, agreement was reached to make strong changes to gun laws in less than six days. Ardern indicated that the new regulations should be in place by April 11.
Following a 1996 shooting in Tasmania in which 35 people were murdered, Australia instituted a similar ban on semi-automatic rifles and conducted a buyback campaign to remove 600,000 of the weapons from circulation. There were 13 mass shootings in the 20 years previous to the action. There have been no mass shootings in Australia since the ban went into effect. Overall gun homicides in Australia were reduced by more than half.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates there are between 5 million and 10 million AR-15 rifles currently in private hands in the United States. AR-15s are just one type of military-style semi-automatic rifle. Some version of an AR-15 was used to commit the mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado (2012); Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut (2012); San Bernardino, California (2015); First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas (2017); and Parkland, Florida (2018). A different type of military-style rifle was used in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.

Science

Facebook admits it stored ‘hundreds of millions’ of account passwords in plaintext

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Flip the “days since last Facebook security incident” back to zero. Facebook confirmed Thursday in a blog post, prompted by a report by cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs, that it stored “hundreds of millions” of account passwords in p

Flip the “days since last Facebook security incident” back to zero. Facebook confirmed Thursday in a blog post, prompted by a report by cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs, that it stored “hundreds of millions” of account passwords in plaintext for years. The discovery was made in January, said Facebook’s Pedro Canahuati, as part of a routine […]

HoneyBook, a client management platform for creative businesses, raises $28M Series C led by Citi Ventures

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HoneyBook, a customer-relationship management platform aimed at small businesses in creative fields, announced today it has raised a $28 million Series C led by Citi Ventures. All of its existing investors, including Norwest Venture Partners, Aleph, Vintage I

HoneyBook, a customer-relationship management platform aimed at small businesses in creative fields, announced today it has raised a $28 million Series C led by Citi Ventures. All of its existing investors, including Norwest Venture Partners, Aleph, Vintage Investment Partners and Hillsven Capital, also returned for the round. Citi is a strategic partner for HoneyBook and […]

ISS Daily Summary Report – 3/20/2019

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ISS HAM pass: The crew participated in an ISS HAM contact with North Point School for Boys, Calgary, Alberta, Canada where students range from kindergarten to ninth grade. Questions involved astronaut training, the daily routine of an astronaut, and Extravehi

ISS HAM pass: The crew participated in an ISS HAM contact with North Point School for Boys, Calgary, Alberta, Canada where students range from kindergarten to ninth grade. Questions involved astronaut training, the daily routine of an astronaut, and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) activities. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents …

Culture

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There’s a reason why we’re stoked to be writing about the first trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum here on a website called Geek.com. And it’s not just because it looks […]
The post ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ Tr

There’s a reason why we’re stoked to be writing about the first trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum here on a website called Geek.com. And it’s not just because it looks […]
The post ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ Trailer Dreams the Impossible Dream appeared first on Geek.com.

Melting Glaciers Expose Dead Bodies on Mount Everest

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Glaciers on Mount Everest are rapidly melting and expedition officials are worried about the number of climbers’ bodies that are becoming exposed across the cold landscape. Since the first Mount Everest ascent attempt, […]
The post Melting Glacier

Glaciers on Mount Everest are rapidly melting and expedition officials are worried about the number of climbers’ bodies that are becoming exposed across the cold landscape. Since the first Mount Everest ascent attempt, […]
The post Melting Glaciers Expose Dead Bodies on Mount Everest appeared first on Geek.com.

‘Riverdale’ Season 3, Episode 16 Recap: Letting the Theatre Kids Out to Play

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Is this going to be an annual thing now? Are we going to get a new musical episode every season on Riverdale? Because if so, no complaints here. I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s Carrie: The […]
The post ‘Riverdale’ Season 3, Episode

Is this going to be an annual thing now? Are we going to get a new musical episode every season on Riverdale? Because if so, no complaints here. I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s Carrie: The […]
The post ‘Riverdale’ Season 3, Episode 16 Recap: Letting the Theatre Kids Out to Play appeared first on Geek.com.

Germany: Michael Jackson exhibit opening amid revived claims

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BONN, Germany (AP) - An exhibition of art about Michael Jackson is opening in Germany amid fresh controversy over the singer's alleged abuse of children. Curator Nicholas Cullinan said Thursday the show at Bonn's Bundeskunsthalle was conceived long before th

BONN, Germany (AP) - An exhibition of art about Michael Jackson is opening in Germany amid fresh controversy over the singer's alleged abuse of children. Curator Nicholas Cullinan said Thursday the show at Bonn's Bundeskunsthalle was conceived long before the recent broadcast of HBO documentary «Leaving Neverland ,» which details ...

Top Accessories from the Chanel Fall-Winter 2019/20 Collection

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The Chanel Fall-Winter 2019/20 Collection was the final offering designed by Karl Lagerfeld and it was presented amongst ice-capped mountains, wooden ski chalets, and snow, which were recreated in the Grand Palais. With a full-scale wintry village forming th

The Chanel Fall-Winter 2019/20 Collection was the final offering designed by Karl Lagerfeld and it was presented amongst ice-capped mountains, wooden ski chalets, and snow, which were recreated in the Grand Palais. With a full-scale wintry village forming the background for the show there was no shortage of snow on the ground and the accessories and outfits were ideal for the setting.Scarves were plentiful during the show and came in various materials ranging from chiffon to wool and leather. Most of the scarves, according to the Chanel press release, are designed to be “knotted around the neck” and come with striking embellishments in the form of tassels and large jeweled brooches. The scarves are created to complement the jewelry, tops, and blouses, and provide a finishing touch to the upper silhouette while shining a spotlight on the masculine-feminine blend in the collection.Meanwhile, footwear drew inspiration from hiking boots. Importantly, the brogans and heeled boots that were showcased during the show were designed to be worn on bare legs and according to Chanel they “elevate silhouettes from pantsuits to short dresses in chiffon and feathers.”Also in focus during the show were a number of backpacks and braid-trimmed CC belt bags, which were inspired by the world of sports. Elsewhere, bags with wool finishing in striking shades of dark green contrasted with the lighter shades used to create clothing. Earrings and hair accessories included in the collection came studded with pearls and strass snowflakes while tweed was used to create oversized bags and fedoras that brought a distinct androgynous look and feel to ensembles.Click on the slideshow to check the accessories.http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder: Louise Blouin

Charriol Announces the Lady Marie-Olga Timepiece

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In its latest creation, the Lady Marie-Olga Jewelry Timepiece, Charriol has put under the spotlight one of the passions of Marie-Olga Charriol, who is the wife of its founder and a distinguished rider. The timepiece, according to the press release, is describ

In its latest creation, the Lady Marie-Olga Jewelry Timepiece, Charriol has put under the spotlight one of the passions of Marie-Olga Charriol, who is the wife of its founder and a distinguished rider. The timepiece, according to the press release, is described as exploring the “links between equestrian and watchmaking arts, which are stamped with the same strong and timeless values.” In the timepiece, which is named after the founder’s wife, femininity, sophistication, and personality are combined to reflect the gestures of the rider on her horse.The case has a distinct oval shape, which is a combination of roundness and asymmetry and gives the timepiece a soft and feminine look and feel while showcasing its masterful technical aspects. Large Arabic numerals with striking volutes on its dial are positioned on a mother-of-pearl background while two hands display the passage of time. A unique horseshoe element is used to extend the case with its asymmetrical lugs and attach it to the strap, and it once again showcases the equestrian elements that have been used in the creation of the watch. The jewelry timepiece features a case set with 89 diamonds, a white mother-of-pearl dial with 10 diamonds, and a clasp with 59 diamonds. The simpler editions created with yellow or pink gold plating are suitable for daily wear. Onboard the watch is a Swiss ETA quartz movement, while the bracelet strap is made from 16 steel cables that are finely twisted and each has a diameter of 1 mm.Click on the slideshow to check the timepiece.http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder: Louise Blouin

Sport

Ryan Preece returns to his roots at Martinsville Speedway

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If history repeats itself for Preece at Martinsville, he’ll be a happy driver late Sunday afternoon.Preece scored the first of his 22 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins on the historic half-mile in 2008 and he returns looking for his first Cup Series victory

If history repeats itself for Preece at Martinsville, he’ll be a happy driver late Sunday afternoon.Preece scored the first of his 22 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins on the historic half-mile in 2008 and he returns looking for his first Cup Series victory as a rookie driving for JTG Daugherty Racing.Preece thinks his experience competing on a short track will help him no matter where ...Keep reading

Lexus requires GTD success before potential DPi move

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Lexus has raced in GTD since 2017, and has scored two wins and five pole positions in the class to date. Having switched to the AIM Vasser Sullivan team for 2019, Lexus finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with its second car also finishing in the top

Lexus has raced in GTD since 2017, and has scored two wins and five pole positions in the class to date. Having switched to the AIM Vasser Sullivan team for 2019, Lexus finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with its second car also finishing in the top five.Parent brand Toyota enjoyed huge success in the early 1990s with its All American Racers Eagle MkIII, which won 21 out of 27 races ...Keep reading

The factors that hurt Ferrari in Australia

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Few believe that the speed shown in testing was not real, as there would be little incentive for a big team to go for such glory runs.So, as the investigation continues at Maranello to get to the bottom of why it was beaten by both Mercedes and Red Bull, her

Few believe that the speed shown in testing was not real, as there would be little incentive for a big team to go for such glory runs.So, as the investigation continues at Maranello to get to the bottom of why it was beaten by both Mercedes and Red Bull, here we look at some of the factors that almost certainly contributed to what happened.Aero conceptAs we know, F1's aero regulations ...Keep reading

Stevens eyes full-time WEC return after Sebring win

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Stevens, Jordan King and David Heinemeier Hansson formed an all-new line-up at the wheel of the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing squad for Sebring, after Malaysian trio Nabil Jeffri, Weiron Tan and Jazeman Jaafar were dropped at the end of 2018.The new trio won firs

Stevens, Jordan King and David Heinemeier Hansson formed an all-new line-up at the wheel of the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing squad for Sebring, after Malaysian trio Nabil Jeffri, Weiron Tan and Jazeman Jaafar were dropped at the end of 2018.The new trio won first time of asking at the Florida airfield course in dominant fashion, beating their nearest rivals, the #36 Signatech Alpine crew, by 27 ...Keep reading

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe disagree on the Browns ranking higher than the Steelers

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There's a lot of hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns after trading for Odell Beckham Jr., but what does it mean moving forward? Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe discuss the early power rankings released by NFL.com who project the Browns higher than the Pitts

There's a lot of hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns after trading for Odell Beckham Jr., but what does it mean moving forward? Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe discuss the early power rankings released by NFL.com who project the Browns higher than the Pittsburgh Steelers.